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April 15 1924. 1,490,895 W. H. GERSTENSLAGER TIRE OPENING MACHINE F'iled June 13,. 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet l 'v' Wl Stimme/14 April 15 1924.

w. H7 GERSTENSLAGER TIRE OPENING MACHINE Filed June 13, '1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Apri] 15 1924.

W. H, GERSTENSLAGER TIRE OPENING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 13, 1919 5 9 4 383 8, u 7b? 0 e 9. m ...4., W e e w 4. R E9 N Mmm SM1 NM. EGw www RE EPM GO Ed .Re Hrm .TF w

ferm/ayer @Het ne l Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIANI H. GERSTENSLAGER, 0F AKRON, OHO. ASSIGNOR TO THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TIRE-OPENING ll/IACHINE.

Application filed June 13, 199.

resi cnt of .-Ytltron, Ohio, have invented new l useful improvements in Tire-Opening iachines, of which the i-oilowing is a speciieation The pre-seni invention relates to new and nl improfements in apparatus for openfi tire easings in the course of their manie cturc.

En the manufacture of pneumatic tires, it is frequentlj,v necessarj.' for several purposes to spread and temporarily hold apart the edges or l eads of the tire casing. For ei;- ample, the sides of the tire casing are pulled apart to permit inspection of the interior of the tire. Again, it is customary in the manufacture of pneumatic tires under the socalled two-eure method, to give the comleteljY built tire its final vulcanization While fitted on an air bag. rl`hese air ings are relatively.v stitl' owing to the fact that they are made up of several heavily frictioned plies of fabric, and often alternate layers of asbestos materials. Also, the 'tires cured under this method have several strands of pianowire incorporated in the beads which renders them almost inextensible by hand. The insertion of these stiff air bags in the tires between the unyielding beads has heretofore been done manually, which has proven very fatiguing to the operator.

Finally, in assembling the inner tube and easing, prior to putting the finished tire on the market, it is again necessary to open the easing and hold it open while the inner tube is being inserted.

Being cognizant of the foregoing contitions l have, therefore, in mind, as one of the principal objects of my present invention, the provision of an apparatus which may be conveniently used by the operator to separate the edges of the casing and hold them separated lfor inspection o' the interior of the casing, or for the insertion of the air bag or the inner tube into the opened tire.

Another object is to produce a mechanical structure that will engage more than one portion of the beads thereby relieving all undue strains upon the beads as would be experienced where only one portion was spread or engaged at a time.

The above and additional objects of a Serial No. 304,000.

similar nature, which will be hereinafter more specifically treated, are preferably acompiishcd by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention and throughout the several views of which, similar reference numbers designate corresponding parts:

Figure l is a 'front elevation of my improved device;

` Figure 2 is a plan view of same;

Figure is a vertical section on the line -B of Fig. 2;

Figure i is a detailed perspective of the ram head;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a modilied structure;

lligure o is a plan view of same;

Figure 7 is a side elevation partly in section;

Figure S is a detailed View of the tire engaging arms shown in the position assumed when the tire is fully spread; and

Figure 9 is a detail section on lthe line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

ln the present embodiment of my inveni tion, and particularly that illustrated in Figs. l--ii inclusive, the apparatus includes essentially a'circular horizontal work supporting table l0, supported by a central hollow standard l1; a plurality of relatively stationary bead engaging members or fingers l2; mechanism such as a series of links 13, pivots le and a handle whereby the positions of the members 12 may be controlled; a plurality of movable bead engaging meinbcrs or fingers 16; and means, such as a handle 17, links 1S, and a ram 19 whereby the members may be. correctly positioned with respect to the tire beads and then separated by the action of the fluid pressure on a ram piston.

The table l0 may be of any desired construction, but preferably is of the form shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 which comprises a cylindrical flange portion 2O screw threaded upon the upper extremity of the standard 1l and a circular plate member 2l arranged to be seated within the liange portion 20 and Mounted upon the bed plate and centrally disposed between the legs of the --lJ-a is a ram mechanism 65, the piston or shaft 66 ot which is hollow and screw threaded or otherwise secured to the bed plate thus permitting the cylinder portion to move vertically as is desired. The cylinder has projecting from its lower portion a pair of bearing bosses 67, which afford mountinefs 'for a pair of vertically disposed shafjts having shoulders 68, the shoulders permitting rotation ot the shafts 68 in t-he bosses GT. These shafts 68 extend upward through bearings 69 mounted upon the sides et the UW standards, through bosses carried upon the outer ends ot' the arms and 63a ot the bead engaging members 62 and 63 respectively and then upward through bearings cast in the -Un standards. As shown in Fig. S, the lower pairs ot' arms 63 of the bead engaging members o3 are each mounted on one ot the shatts (3S by means ot' a rib or key Tl on the sleeve 'T3 of the arm a, which rib is adapted to slide in a groove 72 in the shaft (SS, 'thus permitting the shafts 68 to reciprocate vertically through the sleeve T3, but insuring the rotation ot sleeve Z3 and the arms 63 with the rotation ot the shafts 68, as will be understood.

The arms 62 ot the upper bead engaging members 62, are, on the other hand, lixedly secured to the respective shafts 68. as by pins or set screws, so that they will reciprocate vertically as well as rotate with the shafts G8.

Mounted upon the shafts G8 between the upper and lower members 62 and 623 are pairs of segmental gears T4 which are lixedly secured thereto, in a manner whereby they are in mesh with each other and any rotary movement oi one shaft will cause the opposite shaft to be rotated in the opposite direction. Thus, it will be seen that when a rotary motion is given to the shafts the bead engaging members GQ and 63 will be thrown outward into engagement with the beads, as seen in Fig. 6. This movement is ell'ccted by means of a shai't 75 mounted in bearings T5 upon the standard 6l, a pair ot cranks TT carried by the shaft, links connecting the 'free ends ot' the cranks with lugs T8 carried by the lower inside arms 63a and a handle or operating arm T9 conveniently mounted upon the sha'lit, ttor rocking the same. To permit the operator to retain the arms 63 in any desired position. a segment 8O and latehing mechanism S1, are provided. see Fig. 7. Springs SQ- are provided tor returning the lower arms 6:3 to the innermost positions.

Adjustable stops 6l are mounted in the cross pieces of thelU shaped standards 61 to limit the upward movement of the bosses ot the upper arms 62, thereby permitting the use oi tire casings of different sizes, and to prevent the beads being pulled too tar apart.

ln each ot the embodiments ol my invention illustrated in the drawings, the lluid supply to the ram mechanism is controlled by a single valve tl. This valve is conveniently mounted adjacent the operating arms t5. 17 and T9 respectively and is interposed in a main supply line Sil. From the valve a pipe connects with the ram l) in case and is iiiranched in the other to neet with the rains sce Figs. l and @ne position ot' the valve 83 permits the iluid to cireiuate to the ramsy while another position exhausts the pressure in the rams as will be apparent.

pera/fion.

Alssuming the apparatus to be in a neutral or inoperative position, see lfig. 3, the operator will place a tire upon the table l0, and then push down on the handle jl' there by causing the relatively stationary .d engaging member l2 to engage the lower bead, as in Vig. l. The valve S3 is then operated to allow tie ram cylinder #l2 to drop 'to its lowest pos, on. The operator will then push down on the handle lT thereby causing the upper bead engaging members 16 to engage the upper bead. Vlhis rocking movenient ot the arm '1i' is permitted by reason oit the oppositely angled surfaces 55. The valve 83 will 'then be operated again, this time to admit fluid pressure and lift the ram cylinder 4t2 with its associated parts, thus litting the upper bead engaging members 1G, to spread the edges or beads ot the tire carcass suiliciently for the purposes above referred to, for example .the inserting oi? tho air bag, and to hold them spread as long as may be desired. rl`he valve S3 is finally operated to exhaust the ram and permit the cylinder' to drop. The beadV engagingl members are brought back to their orginal position by manipulation ot handles 15 and 1T.

The operation of the modified form of apparatus shown in Figs. 5 to 9 is analogous, except that the bead engaging members 62 and 63 are swung laterally to engage and disengage the beads, by operation ot the handle and the gea 's 7%. The upper bead engaging members G2 are lifted by the shafts GS which carry them, the latter being in turn carried upward by the ram 65.

lVhile l have shown different specific iornis ot apparatus, it will be evident that changes and modilications may be made in the apparatus which tall within the scope oit the claims hereto appended` without in any way departing from the essence of my invention.

What l claim is:

l. A n apparatus of the character described, comprising elements adapted to enter bet-Ween the edges ot a tire easing, means tor adjusting Certain ot said elements and means to separate said elements.

2. An apparatus ot the Character described, comprising elements adapted to onter between the edges of a tire easing, means Yfor adjusting Certain ot said eiements and power operated means to separate said eiements.

.An apparatus ot the character described, comprising` a set oi" upper arms. a set ot iov-rer arms, a finger on one end et each aria and means tor movingone set oi arms reativeiy to the other whereiiy the fingers are separated Je. in apparatus ot the character described, comprising a ses upper arms, a set ot iower arms, a niger on one end ot each arm and duid operated means for meving, one set of arms reiativeiy to the other whereby the fingers are separated.

An apparatus ot the character described, comprisinga set ot upper arms and a set of lower arms substantially oppositei;T disposed thereto, a finger on each oit said arms, reciprocating shafts, one et said sets being mounted on said shafts to rotate therewith, the other of said sets heilig` iiiediy secured to said shafts to both rotate and re- Y ciproeate therewith, means for rotating said a nef-eases 6. ln a machine `tor the purpose set ttorth, the combination ot series ot arms aiu'anged ends ot said arms d eifete, a second i in a circle, tingen,v ou the progeeting outwurdig7 ot series ot arms7 fingers on tue e ds oif said' second arms norniaiiy ioeated i 'aee'fit said first named fingers, and means lor moulu;w one ot srkt series ot arms to separate the tin( ers.

LiiL,

tion as said first named u aud mean4 tor moving," one olf the et arms to sep rate the lngere.

8. in apparatus ot the eharaoter described comprising a pturah V ot' opfosiieiy disposed eiements adap l t o the inner edges ot a tire Casing, una. iieans separating the elements to open the 'tire throughout its entire eireumterenee.

in Witness whereof, have hereunto signed my naine iu presence ot two suhscriioing;r Witnesses.

itfitnesses C. A. STRAW, Jr., E. C. LEADENHAM. 

